The Outpost in the Woods
by greedisland93
Summary: Will the shapeshifting alien from 'The Thing' save the world from doom?


**Hi there, **

**I'm a big fan of John Carpenter's film 'The Thing' and I like Cabin in the Woods, so one night, I asked myself, why not?**

**Please enjoy**

My name is Jules Louden, before that night I was just an average college student with a wonderful life ahead of me. I had good marks, paid my own rent, a big caring family, best friends anyone could ever ask for, and I was really proud of myself for that. I had everything planned out so perfectly and thought nothing could ever change that, but after that…incident, things don't seem to matter anymore, life isn't worth living anymore without them. I should be grateful I guess, that there are still people who cares about me, they keep telling me that I'll get well, that everything is going to be okay. They're wrong. If there's anything I know for sure, it is that my life will never be the same again. Because that one fateful night, I've crossed the line from where I can never return. We all did. I guess, what they say is true, you don't know what you have until it's gone.

* * *

It all began when Curt, my boyfriend for 5 months then, decided to drag me on a small trip to the countryside where he said his cousin just bought a cabin. I refused at first, being a pre-med and the president of the pre-med society at our college really left me little time to rest, or as my boyfriend put it, 'day off.' He claimed I was being too overly competitive and 'crazy' about my grades and internships, he didn't feel he was getting the 'love that he needs.' I wouldn't call building the perfect resume 'crazy,' heck everybody in my class was basically hardwired like that, you can't survive pre-med by fooling around. I admit though that I've always been an overachiever, so he should have known better, he was supposed to be my boyfriend after all. But that guy, with the determination of a hungry lion chasing its prey, kept on pestering me by coming up with silly 'romantic' things to persuade me. Unwilling to take no for an answer, he snuck into the dean's office and asked me, for what was like the billionth time, over the intercom. There had been much laughing, jokes were made and as well as threats of expulsions, but in the end I gave in, but only after I told him that there would be no kinky stuff and that I could invite my best friend, Dana Polk, to the trip. She needed the 'day off' more than anyone in the campus and I'd have felt really awful to just leave my best friend on a trip while she was going through a rough time all by herself. You see, my pal Dana, she was trying to get over an affair she had with a teacher. It was a pretty stupid relationship to have, but knowing her since we were little, she always was that gullible.

Days later, Curt managed to convince me to have his new jock friend, goes by the name of Holden McCrea, in the trip. Holden is a nice and down-to-earth guy but I wasn't sure then if Dana would appreciate it, not that he wasn't good looking or hot enough, I just didn't think it was very subtle, with her just barely coping with the post break-up mess and all. In the few occasions that I had the time to watch my boyfriend train, I came to realize that he was good at his game and would make a good receiver. Other than the fact that he was good at football, he turned out to be quite well-informed in the medical field too, having volunteered in his hometown's hospital as a nurse. He admitted that he originally wanted to apply for pre-med at his hometown's college but his family just couldn't afford it, and besides he got accepted to our college on football scholarship. He also confided in me that he didn't think he would 'fit in' after seeing how closely-knit we (Dana, Curt, Marty and me) were to each other, but I told him that I was just happy to have someone in the group that I can talk stuff with, without making that someone sleepy or think that I'm weird, he laughed at that, saying he knew exactly the feeling. All in all, I think he would make a good addition to the 'gang' and of course, a good match for Dana. I just hoped that Dana could get past the whole matchmaking thing and give him a chance.

* * *

During the trip, I don't know why, maybe it was Marty's joint or something that I had that morning, but I felt so…warm and energetic. It felt like I just drank the same stuff that Curt put in his shake every morning. I couldn't help it when I joined Marty dancing around like crazy to Led Zeppelin's 'Black Dog,' rocking the RV, while Curt tried unsuccessfully to keep it down. My newly dyed hair was blowing around my face wildly as I danced to the music, for once in my life I actually didn't mind it getting messy. Holden broke down into laughter seeing me acting silly, having never seen me acting like that before. Dana however, had known me long enough to get 'acquainted' with my wild-side, so she just shook her head after I bumped my head with Marty's when the RV hit a pothole. I've thought about it, and I'm 100% percent sure Curt did that on purpose.

* * *

_Getting back, that's your concern._

I should have caught that, the harbinger, and all the signs. We were just too lost in emotion to recognize it. We assumed him to be nothing but a creepy old redneck, but he must have known something about the cabin and the monster. He must have.

As we left the gas station, Holden took over the wheel as Curt moved to the back to soothe me. I was angry, and confused. I tried my best to not break down and cry, but the tears just came out on their own. It was just cruel, what was his reason for calling me that in front of all my friends. He didn't know me. What did I do to deserve it? I kept asking myself that. Before I knew it Curt already had his arms wrapped around me and I began to cry on his shoulder, soiling his shirt in the process. We kept like that for a while, just me and him in the back of the RV, away from anybody else to spare me the shame of having to bawl like a kid in front of them all. But from the absence of Marty's wild rants about the Martians, I guessed, they already knew.

* * *

An hour later we at last arrived at the cabin. The cabin was dark and brooding, it didn't look like anybody's been living in it for a while and it has certainly seen better days. It was one those cabins that looked small in front but quite spacious inside. But still, not quite what I had in mind. Nevertheless, it was trivial, my boyfriend had put a lot of effort into this trip for all of us, and this was also supposed to be my day off from the hectic university life, which I've got to enjoy with nobody else but my best friends, so I wasn't going to let some rickety cabin bother me.

Somehow I felt something was off. It wasn't just the cabin, there was just something about the woods itself that's been bugging me since we got off the RV, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Curt's firm arm pulled me away from my thoughts as he hauled me inside. The cabin turned out to be quite spacious. The 'lounge', which it shared with a modest kitchen took up the entire width of the cabin. A large old fireplace on the left, a cozy couch, a homely rug and several armchairs facing the fireplace, there was also a mounted wolf on the right side of the path that leads to the hallway which stretches far to the back. It was very stereotypical, though I was grateful for the indoor plumbing. The little worry that I'd left further dissipated when Curt told everybody of the nearby lake. I always thought nothing could beat a dip in a lake in a hot summer day.

I wasted no time throwing on my swimsuit, a two-piece bikini that I just bought yesterday, it didn't really cover much, which made me wonder why I bought them in the first place. Curt liked it though, I just hoped that it didn't give him any ideas.

* * *

Dana and Holden, who I was very glad to see getting along pretty well, didn't waste any time as they thundered down the pier and cannonballed into the water. I knew better though, judging from the temperature, it'd be a little while for the water to warm up. I thought I'd just find a spot to lay out the towel and soak up the rays a little bit, giving Dana some 'alone time' with Holden. I smirked when I saw the realization in Dana's pleading eyes. But of course, Curt had to be such an idiot and decided to do yet another one of his mindless acts as he threw me into the water. After several angry splashes directed at Curt and telling him he just missed the chance at oiling up my body, I realized that there was one of us missing, Marty!

I turned my head and there he was standing gleefully on the pier, him and his joint, apparently he enjoyed witnessing his friends making a fool out of themselves. He looked so stoned all the time then, I didn't even remember the last time I seen him 'sober'. I've always told him he could get addicted by it but by that point it looked like he already did. Anyhow, that was not an excuse to not 'suffer' the cold water with the rest of us. I didn't know how, but an idea came into my mind and I whispered it to Curt, he was so excited he forgot to swim as his body began to sink in the water. He then spread it to Holden and Dana.

So the objective was to throw Marty into the water, how, was something that even I until now can't even believe my mind to be capable of generating such ideas. Marty and I used to be sweethearts in high school. I knew the feeling was still there no matter how stoned he was. He's a boy after all.

I called him to the side of the pier, and then I pulled myself up along the edge of the pier giving him perfect view of my not-so-covered glistening cleavage.

"Come on Marty, swim with us, you're missing out on the fun," I said in my most innocent voice.

He mumbled something, I saw his eyes wandering down as I smiled slyly.

"See anything you like?" I teased as I edged closer to the nervous guy.

"Jules…" he was totally mesmerized by the show.

"NOW!" I shouted. Marty looked over his shoulder and knowing what was coming, took one last big drag of his joint and down he went.

Who says only little kids could play games in the water? We had fun playing several games that day, we had underwater competitions which Marty had surprisingly won. I nearly had it and he told me later that he was this close to coming up for air himself, I didn't know if that was supposed to make me feel better or not, at the fact that I'd just lost to a stoner.

We then had an Olympic-style race, Curt aced this one with Holden close behind. Though I didn't believe their fancy butterfly stroke was necessary, they just did it for the show knowing that the rest of us couldn't do it, front crawl was proven scientifically to be the best actually. So I believe, it was just due to their brute force actually. I like to think of it that way.

We also had a 'chicken fight' where we, the girls, sat on the shoulders of the guys and tried to knock each other out. I didn't know how that turned into a wrestling match between the boys.

I also had Dana demonstrate her synchronized swimming skill. She began taking synchronized swimming classes during high school, which I also attended, and has gone and won several competitions. I just told her that it'd be good to let Holden know about it now that he was here and she reluctantly agreed, but she balked when I likened the idea to animal's mating call. Just by seeing Holden's awed face I'd say it was pretty successful. Well, who'd have guessed the shy and bookish Dana Polk had such skill?

The time flew by and soon the sun was already behind the tree-lined horizon. We dried up and left, feeling really exhausted after all the splashing, jumping, and racing.

* * *

We had a grill party on the terrace at the back later on. Fresh meat, corn, marinated mushrooms, shredded cheese, onions, potatoes, zucchini, sausages and shrimps all thrown into the grill. It was tended and cooked by Curt himself, the self-proclaimed 'master grill,' and from the wonderful smell he might really have a gift for the grill. Curt came with the sizzling dishes later, the ones he was very proud to say to be 'guarded family secret,' it was well worth the wait. The warmth of the summer, good company, delicious food, cold beers and a good view to the sunset, it couldn't get any better than that. It really was one of the most wonderful moments I've ever had, but unknown to me at that time, it'd also be one of the last.

With the feast finished, everybody settled in the main room. We put on some music and had a couple of drinks from the keg before Marty came up with 'truth or dare' and he dared me first! I suspected then that this was how he was going to get his payback from being thrown into the water earlier, and no matter what I chose, he'd get his payback.

"I dare you, to make out with that moose over there!" he pointed enthusiastically to the mounted wolf head across the room. I rolled my eyes, he wouldn't be able to notice a difference even if the thing howled at him. But if he wanted to see me giving french, I'd say let him see it. That way he'd see what he's been missing.

I didn't know what came over me that night, I'd never dream in a million years of making out with a wolf, mounted or not. I would have preferred Dana over that beast, not that I'm into women, at least Dana doesn't have those sharp pointy teeth and is easier to the eyes.

I closed my eyes and I neared the tip of my lips to the wolf's until I felt it. I slowly sucked on it like it was Curt's. My fingers drifted through the rugged fur of the beast as I traced the outline of its teeth with the length of my tongue. I continued on with my nose brushed against the beast's. The kiss started out soft, but it started to get harder, it was quickly filled with heat and wanting. My tongue danced between the lengths of the teeth, licking it off so passionately as if it was a proper lover. The sourness of whatever coated the thing didn't even bother me. It felt so weird and yet so wonderful on my tongue. Finally, I slowly parted and 'thanked' the beast with my head still spinning from the lurid fragrance of it. But I was proud nonetheless, it was just one of those experience that you won't ever forget. Marty looked like he couldn't believe I just did it before he started to clap his hands in astonishment followed by everybody.

The game continued and I was about to dare Dana to make out with Holden when a huge bang shook everyone from their seats.

I looked past the couch and saw that it was the cellar door. It'd been mysteriously opened. I instantly got an idea.

"Dana," I called her, she turned her head, fright in her eyes.

"I dare you." I grinned as she whimpered, knowing full well what it was.

* * *

Less than a minute into her dare, the sound of her deafening shriek tore through the place. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at that. I honestly didn't know what the fuss was about, she ought to be grateful that she'd only need to stay down there for thirty minutes to finish her dare considering the alternative. What was the worst thing that a cellar could have? Spiders, maybe, surprisingly enough I'd never seen one today. We went down the stairs and found her facing a faded portrait of a young girl, it looked old and out of place down there. I was wondering what it was doing in an abandoned cabin in the middle of the woods and whether Curt's cousin had anything to do with it, when Marty lit the lantern which illuminated the barely-lit cellar. We looked around and suddenly found ourselves surrounded by weird antiques. Macabre was the perfect word for it. There were dolls, not the cute ones either, it looked like it came out from the creepy doll island I happened to visit in a trip to Mexico. Then there were porcelain masks, toys, more old portraits and some carnival props, heck there was even a fortune telling machine down there. I then looked to the side and spotted something that caught my eyes. It was the prettiest pendant ever, the jewel that rested on the chest of the mannequin glimmered at me as if it was inviting me to come and try her. I was so taken by it, I didn't realize I'd knocked over a tape recorder and I jumped when it began to play on its own.

It started with a grainy voice of a man.

"Tuesday, June 25th 1982. These past days have been a nightmare for all of us, to think that it has only been three days…time sure is going slowly down here."

"Blair said that this alien, this…thing, it absorbs and imitates other beings and it imitates them perfectly. I'd have said it was his delusion talking if I hadn't seen it myself…What it did to Bennings…I still can't get the image out of my head, given a little more time it'd have imitated him perfectly." The man paused. By that time, everybody was already gathered around the recorder on the ground.

"We let that dog-thing roam freely around our outpost the day it got here, if that thing was half as smart as Blair believed it was, then it couldn't just be Bennings. The blood sabotage proved my worst fear that some of them, if not all, have already been…imitated."

"I'm going to hide this tape when I'm finished. If none of us make it, at least there'll be some kind of record. The storm's been hitting us hard now for... 48 hours…We still have nothing to go on…"

"One other thing, I think it rips through your clothes when it takes you over and assumes your identity. Windows found some shredded longjohns but the nametag was missing…They could be anybody's. Nobody... nobody trusts anybody now, and we're all very tired... there's nothing more I can do, just wait... R.J. MacReady, helicopter pilot, US outpost #31.

"There was nothing but the sound of the howling of the wind in the recording, whoever it was, must have been recording it outdoor, then it continued, "June 26th. It's only me and Childs now, I don't know where Nauls and Garry are but I assumed the worst. I was forced to burn the outpost down to prevent those…things from spreading…my only hope is that it's frozen for good."

"I-I can no longer feel anything, I feel s-so cold, i-it's not going to be long now….Childs, I think he's already g-gone, if you find this tape, please b-burn our bodies, it's the only w-way to make sure that they stay dead… R.J. MacReady, helicopter pilot, US outpost #31. Out."

The button clicked back and that was the end of it. There were silence for a moment as everybody tried to digest what we had just listened. We looked silently at each other.

"That sounds genuine." Curt commented.

"Those days before any action movies, people listen to these kind of things for entertainment all the time man. Even this one time in the 40s, people actually believed that the Martians were invading the earth because it was tuned on the radio." Marty said.

"The tape recorder wasn't invented until the 60s." Holden stated in an as-a-matter-of-factly voice.

"Actually, the Soviet Russians…" Marty began.

"Let's just get out of here," Dana suggested and everybody gratefully nodded in agreement.

I looked around the place for the last time, and as I climbed up, I wondered if we'd just made a huge mistake by going down there in the first place.


End file.
